Blogs from Memphis, Tennessee, United States, North America - page 9

September 7 Travelled to Nashville today. Quite a long drive. Went as a group to dinner at Wild Horse Saloon. Had a nice meal and good entertainment from a singer Gwen Sebastian, Bought a couple of her CD's as Joyce liked the music. After dinner, went on a tour of a few honky tonk bars, which was very interesting. September 8 Headed for Memphis today. Stopped at Casey Jones (fabled railway engineer) museum for pit stop, and contnued on our way. Arrived im Memphis and went straight to Graceland, after a stop at the motel where Martin Luther King Jnr was assassinated. Graceland was amazing, took heaps of pictures. We then went to Sun Records where Elvis really started his career, as did Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison Johnny Cash amongst others. Also passed Stax records where ... read more

DAYS 24-25-26 Memphis Once in Memphis, the first thing I did was to go and visit Graceland, the house where Elvis Presley lived for a big part of his life. It is a massive complex, very commercialised with lots of shops and different exhibitions some of them not very interesting. However, the house tour is well worth the visit. The house itself is amazing due to the way in which Elvis decided to decorate the different rooms. His play room, his kitchen, his living room etc they are all still the same way they were when Elvis died. You can only visit the ground floor and not the upstairs which is a bit disappointing really. Some of the rooms in the house host exhibits with Elvis’ dresses and all his gold, silver and platinum records are ... read more

Arriving at Graceland, the home of Elvis, was a time in my life that I don't think that I will ever forget. I'll give you a rundown quickly in case you never make it to Elvis Presley Boulevard or the heartbreak hotel. Etched into my memory is the drive into Graceland, the gates adorned with loving fans messages and names- a sign that the "King" is still in many peoples minds to this day and I guess, selling more albums and movies as I think he always will. Once you look at the mansion it's really not as big as today's stars houses, it was big yet somehow humble and modest at the same time, and walking in it became apparent that I guess a somewhat 'normal' family had lived here once upon a time. The ... read more

Whew! After weeks of tornado warnings, floods, nail biting late night NBA Grizzlie games, and President Obama's visit to give the graduation address to the 155 African -American students at Booker T. Washington High School it is finally June. I could do with a little less excitement. June 3rd I am out of here! For several years my travel companion,Val, ( from New orleans) and I have talked about trying a river cruise. It is part of our plan to be able to continue to travel as we get older and older. So this is Plan B going into effect for the first time. We chose a float down the Danube with Grand Circle, a company we have both traveled with many times. All together now let's hum the waltz that one learned when a beginning ... read more